Itaú 2013 Investor Perception Study: Shopping spree

Retail, mining and processed foods are investors' favorites according to LatinFinance's survey of six industries. Andean countries come out on top and Argentina, at the bottom

By staff reporters

Buyers put in for about $2 billion of stock when Mexican
retailer Sanborns raised $950 million in its IPO in February,
one of the new year’s most anticipated equity
sales. The same week, Brazilian IT firm Linx drew more than $4
billion of orders in its $265 million sale – mainly
because international buyers liked the firm’s
retail focus.

These deals won’t get done at any price, as
Sanborns showed by landing near the bottom of its range. But
the demand demonstrates the broad confidence in Latin
America’s retail sector.

This theme stands out in a survey of investors’
and equity analysts’ views on six sectors, jointly
conducted by Itaú Unibanco, Management & Excellence
(M&E) and LatinFinance.

The Itaú 2013 Investor Perception Study on Latin
American Industrial Sectors polled 32 investors and strategists
from 14 countries around the world between November 2012 and
January 2013....